1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to circuits that electrically compensate for temperature changes, and, more specifically, to circuits that compensate for signal errors induced by temperature changes when a circuit including GaAs elements is interfaced with a circuit containing Silicon-based elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
The majority of electronic systems in production and use today are made using Silicon technology. A systems designer who wants to produce the fastest circuit possible using Silicon-based components would likely use emitter-coupled logic circuitry (ECL), which also provides the advantage of low power consumption.
Faster technologies exist, however, including the popular III-V technology using the likes of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs). GaAs circuits and components, however, suffer from fragility during manufacture, and, thus, are relatively expensive Until GaAs chips are available at lower cost, they will be short in both supply and variety. A designer, therefore, must integrate GaAs technology into ECL circuitry to achieve the highest-speed circuits until GaAs chips are more plentiful.
A problem exists, however, when interfacing the two technologies. Silicon chips behave differently than do GaAs chips when both are operated in the same temperature-varying environment. Since electronic circuits inherently produce heat, the difference in electrical behavior between Silicon chips and GaAs chips in the same circuit due to temperature effects must be compensated. The present invention is designed to obviate the problem.